Mail-box.



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MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. Is, |918.

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Patented Apr. 8, 1919,

W. F. KOLETA.

IVIAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. Ie. 191s.

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MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application led January 16, 1918. Serial No. 211,998.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. Kontra, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ink Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles for mail, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which provision is made for protecting the contents of preventing the surreptitlous removal of the mail therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which provision is made for automatically removing` mail matter therefrom and decreasing the time and labor necessary in collecting the mail.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the device on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section ,on the'line -Li of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the improved device.

Fig. 6 isa transverse section illustrating a modification in the construction.

The improved device comprises a casing into which the mail matter is adapted to be deposited, with means at the upper end for receiving the mail and preventing the surreptitious removal of mail matter therefrom, and a discharging means arranged to permit the automatic discharge of the mail matter. The casing or receptacle comprises side portions 10-11, a front member 12 and a rear member 13.4 yAlt their 4upper ends the side members 10-11 are semicircular in outline, and the rear member 13 is extended over the major portion of the semicircular parts of the side members. The lower edges of the side members are inclined obliquely to the longitudinal planes of the same and are extended beyond the front member 12 as indicated at 14, and the lower portion of the front 12 is curved outwardly and downwardly to conform to the upper portion of the parts 14 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. At its lower end the front 12 terminates above the lower line of the portions 111 whereby an opening indicated at 15 is produced. The rear member 13 of the receptacle is continued downwardly and forwardly as shown at 16 to conform to the inclined lower edges of the sides 10-11 and terminates at the lower edge of the opening 15. The member 13-16 is provided at its side edges with inturned flanges 17-18 which overlap the adjacent portions of the sides 10-11, while the front 12 of the receptacle is provided with similar inturned ianges 19-20 which likewise overlap the adj acent portions of the sides 10-11, the flanges being riveted as shown at 21 to the side members. At its upper end the rear member 13 conforms to the curved upper ends of the side members 10-11 as shown at 22 and is increased in width as shown, and overhangs the adjacent portions of the sides.

The curved portion 22 is less in length than the curved upper portions of the sides 10-11, leaving an opening between the members 22 and 12 for the insertion of the mail matter. At its free edge the curved top 22 is directed inwardly to form a stop lip.23.

Segmental supports 24: or l. shaped flanges are connected to the sides 10-11, and the curved top 22,. and are provided respectively with segmental seats 25 to receive and support a segmental closure 26 adapted when in one position to close the entrance to the mail chute. At its inner end the closure member 26 is provided with a stop lip 27 which engages the stop lip 28 of the top 22 when the member 26 is in closed position, to form a water, dust and snow proof joint between the parts.

At its outer edge the member 26 is pro vided with an outwardly directed rib 37 which engages the upper edge of the front 12 as shown in Fig. 5 and by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and operates to limit the downward novement of the closure 22 and also serves as a lift to enable the closure to be readily opened.

Disposed within the upper curved portion of the receptacle is a receiver for the mail matter and including a fiat imperforate bottom `28, vertical side portions 29, rear portion 30, and curved or segmental portions 31, the latter conforming in outline to the curvature of the closure 26 and coupling the same to mail receiver. The receiver and the closure thus move in unison, so that when the receiver is disposed in position for the deposit of the mail, the closure 26 will be elevated, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then when the receiver isv dumped as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l the closure will be depressed and cover the opening as shown in Fig. 5. The side portions 29-30 are pivotally connected at 34 respectively to the side portions 1011 of the receptacle. By this means the receiver is arranged to swing upon the pivots 34, so that the receiver may be disposed in position shown in full lines or moved into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. When the receiver is arranged as shown in full lines in Fig. l the inlet to the receptacle will be open to enable the mail to be deposited upon the floor 28 of the receiver which is preferably inclined as shown in Fig. l, and when the receiver is disposed in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the contentsl of the receiver are dumped into the receptacle, while the curved closure 26 will cut off the entrance to the receiver and prevent access to the c011- tents of the receptacle from above. The stop 37, it will be noted by reference to Fig. 1, engages the edge of the lip 23 of the curved upper portion 22 when in open position, and thus prevents the bottom 28 of the receiver from passing above the lower line of the opening to the receptacle, and when the receiver is tilted into the position lshown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the stop 37 will engage the upper edge of the front 12, and thus limit the downward movement, and prevent the complete overturning' of the receiver. The stop 37 likewise serves as a finger grip to facilitate the operation of the receiver. p

Hingedly united at 38 to the front 12 at its lower edge is a closure or door` for the discharge opening 15 comprising a body portion 39 and side flanges 40-41, the latter overlapping the adjacent portions of the sides 10-11 when the member 39 is in closed position as shown. By this means the closure 39 ett'ectually protects the contents of the receptacle when closed.

Attached to the under face of the inclined portion 16 are hook devices 42 upon which the mail receptacle, such as a pouch or the like, is suspended when the receptacle is to he discharged. Any requirednumber of the hook devices may be employed.

At its lower end the door 39 is formed `and will naturally with an extension 43 to the rear face of which a lock is attached, the key hole of the lock -being accessible through a key way through the extension 43 and the bolt of the lock seating in a suitable socket in the member 42, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It will be obvious from this construction that mail matter may be readily deposited within the receiver and then by drawing downwardly upon the stop 37 the receiver will be tilted into the position shown by dotted lines in F ig. l and the deposited mail discharged into the body of the receptacle pass over the inclined bottom 16 and against the closure 39. l/Vhen the mail is to be discharged, it is only necessary to suspend the pouch from the hooks 42 and release the closure by opening the lock 44 and swinging the door 39 uponits hinges into open position, when the mail matter will be automatically discharged into the pouch. The discharge of the mail matter thus requires no action upon the part of the collector except to suspend the pouch from the hooks and open the door 39.

In Fig. G a slight modification is shown in the manner oi constructingand uniting the units which form the walls of thereceptacle. This modified structure consists in forming the members 10-1 1412-13 with beveled edges and uniting the beveled edges by rivets 47. By this arrangement the flanges 17-13-19-20 are dispensed with, and the confronting edges of the body portion of the receptacle directly united.

The improved device may be constructed of any suitable material and of any suitableI size, and not only etiectually protects the mail matter from access by unauthorized persons, but materially reduces the labor required in gathering the mail.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A mail box including` a casing havinga curvedtop provided with an opening, a mail receptacle of substantially the same width as the casing pivotally mounted therein at the opening in the cover and having its opposite ends curved to conform to the shape of the cover, segmental supporting members overhanging the top of the receptacle and a closure rigidly secured to the segmental supporting` members and adapted to aline the bottom of the receptacle with the opening when the closure is moved to open'position and to tilt said receptacle when the closure is moved to closed position.

WILLIAM F. KOLETA. [1.. s]

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of` Patents Washington, D. C. 

